The Martian

Main Characters and Their Development

• Mark Watney, a botanist and engineer, who finds himself alone on Mars after his team's failed evacuation. He uses his knowledge and engineering skills to survive the harsh conditions of the red planet and eventually re-establish contact with Earth.
• Melissa Lewis, the commander of the Ares 3 mission, takes responsibility for the 'loss' of Mark Watney and takes every possible measure to rescue him after learning he is alive.
• Venkat Kapoor, the director of Mars missions at NASA, plays a key role in coordinating efforts to save Mark and makes important decisions regarding Mars missions.
• Mindy Park, a satellite imagery specialist at NASA, is the first to discover that Mark Watney survived and takes on the task of continuously monitoring Watney's condition and actions on the Martian surface.